A police constable allegedly shot and injured an inspector who
refused to help quash an assault charge against her.

According to Captain Cheryl Engelbrecht, of the Joburg police, the
drama started on Friday when the constable accused a clerk who works
with her at Cleveland police station of going out with her
boyfriend.

The two then argued and the constable, still in police uniform and
armed, beat up the woman "terribly".

The beaten woman laid a charge at the police station.

On Saturday, the constable went to the police station's client
service centre and found that an entry about her had been made.

"The entry was made by one of the senior officers that she must be
disarmed and, in addition to the assault charge, be charged," said
Engelbrecht.

At about 3.30 on Sunday morning, armed but not in police uniform,
the constable allegedly went to the Norwood barracks to look for the
officer, who said she must be disarmed and charged.

Engelbrecht said the constable did not find the officer but then
went to the house of the inspector she later allegedly shot, and
asked him to take her to her boyfriend's place in Vosloorus.

The inspector, who also works at Cleveland and lives in Norwood,
agreed, but the woman's lover was not there.

On their way back, the constable allegedly tried to get the
inspector to help her convince the woman she had allegedly attacked
to drop the charges. She also asked the inspector to take her to the
complainant's house, but the inspector refused, saying doing so was
unethical.

Engelbrecht said the two started arguing, after which the constable
shot the inspector, and then left.

The suspect is alleged to have aimed for the inspector's head but
shot him on the upper arm instead. A passer-by came to the
inspector's aid and helped him to call his wife.

The inspector was in a stable condition, and Engelbrecht said the
suspect would appear in court soon.

The suspect, who handed herself over at De Deur police station a few
hours later, has been charged with attempted murder and also faces a
charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm for beating
up her colleague.

This article was originally published on page 2 of The Star on May 12, 2008